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Getting burnt gunk off of cast iron skillet?

Any suggestions for getting burnt gunk (from marinated flat steak) off of a cast iron skillet? I tried heating a little oil and dumping some course salt in there and scouring with a vegetable brush, which has worked for me before, but this time I can't get it off. Also tried wiping it out with half an onion (I heard this was a good way to clean a barbeque grill), but no luck.

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I always add enough water to cover the bottom of the skillet, then put it right back on the stovetop and heat it until the water begins to boil. This usually loosens up the gunk so that you can brush/sponge/wipe it away once the water cools. I have not found that it unduly strips the cast iron of its finish, either.

Ah, thank you! I forgot to mention it, but I tried water but didn't heat it all the way to boiling. Will definitely try it that way. What does "thorough cleaning" mean, if not the procedure described above, by the way?

Burning off the gunk in a very high oven, followed by a scouring with coarse salt, once worked for me. If you have a charcoal grill, you could do the heating outside, eliminating any smoky vapors. Cast iron can stand very high heat.min fact, if your house burns down, you may be able to find your skillet in the ashes.

Tried heating the pan and scouring with lots of Kosher salt to no avail. I thought of vinegar but didn't know if the acidity would be a problem. ChefJune, if water removes the cure, wouldn't vinegar do that also?

Oh no, it still won't come off? That must be some seriously baked-on gunk! If several rounds of heating a half inch of water and boiling for a few minutes hasn't worked, I don't know what to tell you -- you aren't boiling off all the water, are you? I suppose you might have to strip the pan and re-season it.

If you do need to re-season the pan, this is a great explanation of how to do it, with plenty of science!
http://sherylcanter.com...

Vinegar and water works for me, but yes, you will have to re-season. Yesterday I bought a cast iron skillet that according to the antique dealer is 100 years old. Amazingly well maintained. These things last forever.

Oven cleaner is indeed toxic but it will all come off with soap and water after it has done its job. The only danger is getting any of it on your skin, in your eyes, or breathing any of the mist or vapors. That's the tradeoff for a product that can cut through the worst baked on crud virtually without effort on your part.

The other time-tested method is to burn it off. A couple of posts above suggest either a high oven or the oven's self-cleaning cycle to accomplish the task. The problem there is smoke, both unpleasant and carcinogenic. Mary's suggestion of throwing it on the barbie (right in the coals) would be the way to go if you want to take that tack. Personally I'd rather take the chemical route than deal with the soot and grime.

Incidentally, I just saw the blog reference posted a few up from here. [Shaking head] So much misinformation I wouldn't know where to begin…

Maybe not great for cast iron (though I do use water on all my cast iron) but for other baked on gunk I boil the water with a little bit of dish washer detergent (dry powder, not liquid soap) in it. Smells awful, but gets the gunk out really well!

Well thanks to all -- I now feel I have an arsenal of strategies to try here! I am going to accept that re-seasoning is a likelihood and proceed from easiest to most pain-in-the-butt method (though I think I'd probably just buy a new pan before taking a cast-iron skillet to an automotive shop) and hope for the best!